Pneumatic thermometer.



Patented I-'eb. l3, I900.

W. H. SANFORD & H. BRICKHAM.

PNEUMATIC THERMOMETEB.

(Application filed Feb. 3, 1899.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No' Model.)

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w. H. SANFORD &. H. BRICKHAM.

PNEUMATIC THERMOMETER.

{Application filed Feb. 8, 1899.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets$heet 2.

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PN EUMATIC TH ERMOMETER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 643,542, dated February 13, 1900. Application filed February 8,1899. Serial No. 704,941. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM H. SANFORD and HENRY BRIOKHAM, citizens of the United States of America, residing at Denver, in the county of Arapahoe and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Air-Thermometers; and we do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the lettersand figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Our invention relates to improvements in thermometers; and the objects of our invention are, first, to provide a pneumatic thermometer; second, to provide a thermometer that will visibly register the temperature of the apartment inwhich it is placed and will also register the temperature in which its actuating member is placed and also the temperature of the outside atmosphere and also that in one or two or more compartments at a distance, and, third, to provide an air-thermometer adapted especially to school-houses, office-buildings, cold-storage plants, naval vessels, residences, &c., which will enable the engineer or attendant in charge of the heating plant and also the superintendent or manager, if desired, to read the temperature of every room in the building from the engineroom and superintendents office, so that the engineer may know the temperature of every room without leaving the engine-room and can regulate the heating apparatus accord ingly. We attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is an elevation of the actuating member of our thermometer. Fig. 2 is a side elevation in section of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the temperature-indicator of our thermometer, Figs. 1 and 3 and their connecting tube or conduit representing together the entire thermometer. Fig. 4. is a sectional side elevation of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a sectional plan view of the casing of Fig. 3 on line 5 of Fig. 4, but showing the interior Fig. 6 is a perspective mechanism in plan.

View of a portion of the temperature-indicators actuating mechanism. Fig. 7 is a sectional plan view of Fig. 1 on line 7; and Fig. 8 is a sectional elevation of a building, illustrating the application of our thermometer to the different rooms and basement thereof.

Similar letters and figures of reference refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

Referring to Fig. l, the numeral 1 designates an air-tight tank or closed can or airtight receptacle of any suitable form or material. As illustrated it is of semicircular cross-section; but it may be of any suitable form. It is constructed of thin material, preferablymetal, as brass, copper, or tin, This tank is made air-tight and has connected to it and entering it at any convenient point a tube or pipe 2. This pipe surrounds a nipple 3 and is secured to it or to the tank in any suitable manner. This pipe is preferably made of lead, although pipes ofother metals can be used and also other materials, such as rubber. It may be of about-an eighth of an inch internal diameter. Upon the face or front of the tank we secure a thermometer 3*,

using one of any of the types of thermometers in use. The tank is sealed up perfectly air-tight, and in doing this a natural quantity of atmospheric airis imprisoned within it.

4 designates an indicating register. It comprises a pear-shaped casing, in the narrow end of which is placed a corrugated flexible diaphragm 5, which is preferably made of metal, although any suitable material, as rubber, may be employed. This diaphragm is attached to a raised ring 6, which projects above the back 7 of the tank. A nipple 8 projects from the back centrally of the diaphragm, to which the tube or pipe 2 is attached and extends to the air-tank. Centrally from the top of the diaphragm a stem 9 projects upward, the top of which surrounds and holds a lever 10 at a predetermined distance from its opposite ends. This stem is supported by a bracket 12, which is attached to the side of the casing. One end of this lever is provided with oppositely-extending trunions 11, which are pivotally supported in bearings formed in the cars 12 of the clip 13, which is secured to the side of the casing. site end of this lever is bifurcated and strad- The oppodles a spiral blade 14, that is formed on and makes a complete revolution on a shaft- 15. This shaft is pivotally journaled at one end in the back of the casing and close to its opposite end to a bracket 16, which is secured to the back of the casing. The extreme end of the shaft adjacent to its bearing in the bracket extends through a suitably-indexed dial 17, which may be secured to the casing in any convenient manner, and to its end a hand 18 is secured. The index on the dial is arranged to correspond to the graduation of the thermometer on the air-tank. Between the bifurcated end of the lever and the stem of the diaphragm we attach one end of a spring 19, the opposite end of which rests on and is secured by solder or other means to a washer, which extends through an adj ustable screw-plug 20, which is threadedly secured to an outwardlyprojecting circular collar 21, formed on the back of the casing. This plug rotates freely on the stem 21 of the washer, so that the plug can be turned without turning the washer and spring. A set-screw 22 is threaded in the collar to bear on the screw-plug and secure it against accidental movement. This screw-plug is used to adjust the tension of the spring relative to the sensitiveness of the diaphragm to the action of the air and permits of the easy and accurate adjustment of the indicating mechanism of each thermometer.

The application and operation of our airthermometer are as follows: The thermometer and gages are tested and adjusted to move in unison under varyingtemperature. Where the thermometer is to be applied to a buildingsay, for example, a school-housethe air-tanks are placed in the several rooms upon brackets or on the walls in convenient places for occupants to read their thermometers. The registers are placed in the engineers room 24 in the basement, and also when desired a set is placed in the superintendents office 25. Each air-tank is connected by a pipe to a recording-gage in both places. Thus the pipe 26 of the air-tank 27 leads up through the partition against which it is placed to the floorjoists A above, along which it runs to the partition B and down along the studding to and through the floor G into the engine-room and to the gage 27. A branch pipe 28 also extends from the pipe 26 along the floor-joists A and into the superintendents office to the gage 29.

Air-tank 34 in room 35 is connected to gages 36 in engineers office and gage 3 in the superintendents office by the main pipe 38 and branch pipe 39. Air-tank 40 in room 41 is connected by pipes 42 and 43 to gages 44 and 45. Air-tank 46 in room E is connected by pipes 47 and 48 to gages 49 and 49. Air-tank 52 is connected by pipes 53 and 54 to gages 55 and,

56, the main pipe running down through a recess in the brick. Air-tank is placed on the outside wall of the school-house and is connected by pipes 61 and 62 to gages 63 and 64,

which record the temperature of the atmosphere. 7 O designates an air-tank in one of the halls 63, which connects only with a gage 71 in the en gineers room. As the gages register alike and also tally with their respective thermemeters, both engineer and superintendent know the temperature of every room in the building without running over the building to ascertain the temperature. They also know the outside temperature, and the engineer can regulate the dampers of the heating apparatus to maintain a substantially even temperature throughout the building. As above stated, the tank and the pipe and also the diaphragm contain air which is imprisoned in them when they are constructed and connected air-tight together. This imprisoned air is very sensitive and is increased in temperature and expanded in the tank by any perceptible increase in temperature in the air surrounding it, and the expansion in the tank is relatively in proportion to the increase of temperature of the atmosphere surrounding it. The air in the tank also cools and contracts as the surrounding atmosphere and the temperature cool. Now as the air in the tank heats and expands it forces the air in the tube and under the diaphragm against the diaphragm and raises the diaphragm and also the lever and spring, and as the diaphragm risesit moves the lever up with it, which moves along the spiral blade and turns the shaft, and consequently the hand, around the index-dial. \Vhen the outside atmosphere is falling in temperature, the air in the tank contracts and the spring draws the lever toward the back of the casing and along the spiral blade and turns the shaft and hand in the opposite direction. The imprisoned air responds so quickly to the slightest variation in temperature that the least change isinstantly indicated by the hand on the dial no matter how far apart the tank and gage may be. The laying of the fingers of the hand upon the tank will be instantly detected by an upward movement of the dialhand.

Our invention is very simple, durable, and reliable and will indicate the temperature of rooms or compartments at any reasonable distance from one or more central points, offices, or stations.

hile we have illustrated and described a preferable mechanism for indicating the constantly-varying condition ofthe imprisoned air relative to the surrounding atmosphere, we do not wish to be limited to it, as our invention contemplates the use of any indicating gage or apparatus that is adapted for the purpose. Consequently our invention contemplates,broadly,the imprisonment and con finement of air in any suitable air-tight tank, receptacle, casing, or apparatus and the connection thereto of an air-tight tube or pipe of any suitable material and of the laying of this tube or pipe to any desired point inside or outside of a compartment in which the tank is to be placed and in connecting it to any suitable temperature-indicating gage or apparatus.

We claim- In a pneumatic thermometer, the combination of a temperature-indicatin g register comprising a casing, a graduated dial on said casing, an indicating-hand on said dial, a pivotal shaft supporting said hand, means for supporting said shaft, a spiral blade arranged to make substantially a full revolution of said shaft, andprojecting from said shaft, a lever arranged to straddle said blade at one end, a pivotal support for the opposite end of said lever, an air-tight flexible undulating diaphragm in said casing, a stem projecting cen trally from the center of the top of said diaphragm, means including a pivotal attachment between said stem and lever for oscillating said lever along said spiral blade by the movements of said diaphragm, a contraction coiled spring secured at one end to said lever between said diaphragm and said spiral blade, a base-disk secured to the opposite end of said spring and pivotally attached to a thumbscrew plug, a threaded aperture in said casing to which said screw-plug is threaded and means for securing said screw-plug in adjusted position against accidental displacement, and with a pipe or tube connected to said diaphragm and an air-imprisoning tank secured to the end of said tube, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we affix our'signatures in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM H. SANFORD. HENRY BRIOKHAM. Witnesses:

EDWARD HILDEBRAND, FRANK W. WILLOUGHBY. 

